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Wynn Las Vegas - 2017 - Issue 3 - Winter

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收益狀況。 在1980年的前90天裡，Nugget的收益比International Caesars度假
村、Bally's和Harrah's三家公司加起來還要多。Meyerson真是個傳奇人物。」
Meyerson曾是一名海軍陸戰隊員，二戰期間在太平洋戰爭中受傷，以英勇
事蹟獲得銀星勳章。永利先生回憶說：「儘管曾經如此勇猛，他的個性還是極其
柔和又豐富有趣。只要他跟你打招呼，你就會愛上他。無論男人、女人還是所有
來自紐約的聰明人。」在永利先生賣掉大西洋城的Golden Nugget之後，Meyer-
son搬到了拉斯維加斯。「故事又再重演。 大家都離開Caesars賭場，去Fremont
街找Charlie。」他的崇拜者裡包括有Frank Sinatra 和Dean Martin，這兩位名人
努力嘗試了好幾次，才說動Meyerson和他們一起喝杯雞尾酒。「他們喜歡樓上
的酒吧，因為那裡總是有酒廊表演，他們很可能最終會站起來到處搞笑。他們
一直希望Meyerson上來，但他卻往往忙於處理事務。」永利先生笑著說。
在永利拉斯維加斯被Charlie's餐廳取代的小食店Zoozacrackers，當年也
曾受到Meyerson的啟發。「在1940年代戰爭期間，有一種叫做Zoozacrackers的
動物餅乾，」永利先生解釋說:「據說當時如果某個人太古怪或者不可靠，就會
被叫做「zoozacracker（動物園員工）。」Charlie有時會說：「如果有來自巴爾
的摩的人進來，不要給他錢——他是真正的zoozacracker。 」然而年輕的員工
們都不明白這個說法，於是向Charlie問清楚，覺得這個說法很可愛。」
當史提芬永利先生還是一位年輕的酒店東主時，Meyerson是他的導師，當時
拉斯維加斯還是非常崇拜個性魅力的地方。 永利先生說：「這就是拉斯維加斯
在1960和上世紀70年代最讓人著迷的地方。這是可以縱情沉迷之地。 」隨著那些
早期叱吒風雲的人們開始接近退休年齡，永利先生這顆新星在冉冉上升，Charlie
Meyerson一直在從旁協助，他的影響力不僅在各方面一路伴隨著永利先生的崛
起，更在接待賓客和管理員工方面設立了更現代的標準。Meyerson在2004年去
世，離永利拉斯維加斯開業僅幾個月，永利先生確信這位好友一定會喜歡這家度
假酒店。「娛樂博彩業史上從來沒有人擁有和他一樣能創造奇蹟的力量。」
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
RUDOLF
DIETRICH/ULLSTEIN
BILD
VIA
GET
T
Y
IMAGES
of every company every 90 days. In the first 90 days of 1980, the Nugget made
more money than Resorts International Caesars, Bally's, and Harrah's combined.
Meyerson was a legend."
A Marine who had been wounded in the Pacific during World War II,
Meyerson was awarded the Silver Star for heroism. "Still, as brave as he was, he
had the softest and most delicious personality. If he said hello to you, you fell in
love with him. Men, women, all the wise guys from New York," Wynn remem-
bers. When Wynn sold the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, Meyerson moved to
Las Vegas, "and it was the same story all over again. Guys left Caesars to come
see Charlie on Fremont Street." That set of admirers included Frank Sinatra and
Dean Martin. It might take the duo several tries to get Meyerson to have a cock-
tail with them. "They liked the bar upstairs because there was always a lounge
act, and they'd end up getting up and clowning around. They always wanted him
to come up, but he was too busy regulating traffic," Wynn laughs.
Zoozacrackers, the deli replaced by Charlie's in Wynn Las Vegas, was also
inspired by Meyerson. "During the war, in the '40s, there was an animal cracker
called Zoozacrackers," Wynn explains. "There was an expression then that if
someone was kooky or unreliable, they'd call him a 'zoozacracker.' Charlie
would say, 'If this guy from Baltimore comes in, don't give him any money—he's
a real zoozacracker.' [While] none of the younger employees understood the
reference, they identified it with Charlie, and it was endearing."
When Steve Wynn was a young hotelier and Meyerson his mentor, Vegas was
still run by a cult of personality. "That's what made Las Vegas so alluring in the
1960s and '70s," Wynn says. "It was a place to be crazy." As its early characters
were nearing retirement, Wynn's star was on the rise, aided by Charlie Meyerson,
whose influence not only paralleled Wynn's ascent in many ways but also set
the contemporary standard for treating guests and employees. Meyerson passed
away in 2004, only months before Wynn Las Vegas would open—a resort Wynn is
sure his friend would have loved. "No one in the history of gaming has ever had
the magic that man had."
30
史提芬永利先生在
1973年成為
拉斯維加斯最年輕的
賭場老闆並且是最大
股東。 到1989年他
在那裡開設了
三家酒店。
Steve Wynn
became the
youngest casino
owner in Las Vegas
in 1973, with his
majority share. He
would open three
hotel towers there
by 1989.